Why Are The Olympic Games Held After Every Four Years?
Why the Olympic Games are held every four years, tracing back to the ancient tradition of the Olympiad. Learn more about the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
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With the active participation of over 200 countries and over 400 events, the Olympic Games are often hailed as the world’s oldest and truly global athletic competition that features multiple sports.
The inaugural Olympic Games were held in Athens, Greece in 1896 and the upcoming edition of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games will commence from 26 July 2024 and continue till 11 August 2024, with active participation from a total of 206 nations and 10,714 athletes. Since its inception in 1896, the Olympic Games have been played at an interval of four years. Do you know why?
In this article, we will take a look at the major reasons why the Olympic Games are held after four years.
The Ancient History of the Olympic Games
Since the Olympic Games originated in “Olympia”, a city in Ancient Greece, the format of the tournament has been greatly inspired by their traditions. The ancient Olympic Games that took place in Olympia from the 8th century BC to the 4th century AD were considered as a festival to honor the king of the Greek gods, Zeus. These ancient Olympic Games took place every four years. That’s how the tradition of the “Olympiad” came into existence.
“Olympiad” and the Modern-Day Olympics
French educator and historian Pierre de Coubertin established the International Olympic Committee (IOC), 130 years ago, on 23 June 1894, and successfully revived the ancient concept of “Olympic Games” with the inaugural 1896 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece.
Since the idea of the Olympic Games was inspired by the ancient tradition, the co-founder of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Pierre de Coubertin, honored the Ancient Greek schedule and took the decision to continue the centuries-old ancient tradition of the “Olympiad” and therefore the “four-year” cycle continued even in the modern-day Olympic Games.
Summer Olympic Games
An anecdote of the Summer Olympic Games as of July 2024 is provided below:
| Year | Host City | Dates |
| 1896 | Athens, Greece | April 6 – April 15 |
| 1900 | Paris, France | May 14 – October 28 |
| 1904 | St. Louis, USA | July 1 – November 23 |
| 1908 | London, UK | April 27 – October 31 |
| 1912 | Stockholm, Sweden | May 5 – July 22 |
| 1920 | Antwerp, Belgium | April 20 – September 12 |
| 1924 | Paris, France | May 4 – July 27 |
| 1928 | Amsterdam, Netherlands | May 17 – August 12 |
| 1932 | Los Angeles, USA | July 30 – August 14 |
| 1936 | Berlin, Germany | August 1 – August 16 |
| 1948 | London, UK | July 29 – August 14 |
| 1952 | Helsinki, Finland | July 19 – August 3 |
| 1956 | Melbourne, Australia | November 22 – December 8 |
| 1960 | Rome, Italy | August 25 – September 11 |
| 1964 | Tokyo, Japan | October 10 – October 24 |
| 1968 | Mexico City, Mexico | October 12 – October 27 |
| 1972 | Munich, Germany | August 26 – September 11 |
| 1976 | Montreal, Canada | July 17 – August 1 |
| 1980 | Moscow, Soviet Union | July 19 – August 3 |
| 1984 | Los Angeles, USA | July 28 – August 12 |
| 1988 | Seoul, South Korea | September 17 – October 2 |
| 1992 | Barcelona, Spain | July 25 – August 9 |
| 1996 | Atlanta, USA | July 19 – August 4 |
| 2000 | Sydney, Australia | September 15 – October 1 |
| 2004 | Athens, Greece | August 13 – August 29 |
| 2008 | Beijing, China | August 8 – August 24 |
| 2012 | London, UK | July 27 – August 12 |
| 2016 | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | August 5 – August 21 |
| 2021 | Tokyo, Japan | July 23 – August 8 |
| 2024 | Paris, France | July 26 – August 11 |
Winter Olympic Games
An anecdote of the Winter Olympic Games as of July 2024 is provided below:
| Year | Host City | Dates |
| 1924 | Chamonix, France | January 25 – February 5 |
| 1928 | St. Moritz, Switzerland | February 11 – February 19 |
| 1932 | Lake Placid, USA | February 4 – February 15 |
| 1936 | Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany | February 6 – February 16 |
| 1948 | St. Moritz, Switzerland | January 30 – February 8 |
| 1952 | Oslo, Norway | February 14 – February 25 |
| 1956 | Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy | January 26 – February 5 |
| 1960 | Squaw Valley, USA | February 18 – February 28 |
| 1964 | Innsbruck, Austria | January 29 – February 9 |
| 1968 | Grenoble, France | February 6 – February 18 |
| 1972 | Sapporo, Japan | February 3 – February 13 |
| 1976 | Innsbruck, Austria | February 4 – February 15 |
| 1980 | Lake Placid, USA | February 13 – February 24 |
| 1984 | Sarajevo, Yugoslavia | February 8 – February 19 |
| 1988 | Calgary, Canada | February 13 – February 28 |
| 1992 | Albertville, France | February 8 – February 23 |
| 1994 | Lillehammer, Norway | February 12 – February 27 |
| 1998 | Nagano, Japan | February 7 – February 22 |
| 2002 | Salt Lake City, USA | February 8 – February 24 |
| 2006 | Turin, Italy | February 10 – February 26 |
| 2010 | Vancouver, Canada | February 12 – February 28 |
| 2014 | Sochi, Russia | February 7 – February 23 |
| 2018 | Pyeongchang, South Korea | February 9 – February 25 |
| 2022 | Beijing, China | February 4 – February 20 |
Additionally, the ancient tradition of the “four-year” Olympiad has also played a major role in maintaining the credo of the world’s oldest multi-sport tournament, as it allows adequate time for the athletes to train hard to represent their countries at the highest level of international competition and clinch the most coveted Olympic medals.
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